It often becomes necessary to secure two abutting components together with fasteners. These can be a problem if the fasteners are not able to extend the full width of the components, such as in a panel, post or other larger member. Another problem occurs when one of the components is hollow such as in a tube, a sandwich panel, composite material or when the material of the component is not sufficiently strong to engage and hold a fastener.
One type of fastener that has been used in the past is a barrel nut fastener. Barrel nut fasteners have been widely used in industries such as aeronautics, furniture and other applications where a first component, such as a panel, is to be fastened to another component. Barrel nut fasteners typically have two components, a cylindrical pin with a radial tapped hole and an elongated bolt that is received in the radial tapped hole. The cylindrical pin is inserted in a transverse hole in the panel with the radial tapped hole is aligned with a through hole in the first component. The bolt is inserted through the second component and into the through hole until it engages in the radial tapped hole. The bolt is then rotated to fasten the first component and second component to one another.
One of the problems associated with the previous barrel nut fasteners is the alignment of the cylindrical pin in the transverse hole. The pin tends to slide transversely or rotate within the hole. This can be frustrating and increase the assembly time.